Combined casing spear and coupler



Sept, 2, 1924. 1591291 J. E. JONES COMBINED GASING .SPEAK AND COUPLER .L E. JONES Sem., 2 1924.

COMBINED CASIKNG SPEAR AND COUPLER Filed Aug- 20. .i921 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n n l I t epm 2, w24.,

J. E. JGNES COMBINED CASING SPEAK ANI? COUPLER Filed Aug. 20 3.921 3 Sheets-Shen 3 Potent Sept, 2, lldl.,

@ivi-ire sters FESSE E. JONES), 0F BARTLEVILLE, KLAHO.

Application iled August 20, i921. `Serial No. @93,2365

To all who/m.- t may concern: i

Be it `irnown that l, dessin E. donne a citizen oi the United States, residing at Bartlesville, in the county ci Washington and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful' improvements in Combined Casing Spears and Couplers, of which the tollowing is a speciication. v

This invention relates to a combined cas- 1o ing spear and 'coupler designed for u sein coupling sections of casings as well as inserting andwithdrawing` the saine from a well.' lt has its specific adaptation in an in trument, of this type in whicha plurality of jaws slide upon inclined lanes to grip the inner wall of the casing or the pur of firmly connecting lthe s pear and casing'.

lt has for its objec the securing of `the double function of spear and coupler in a VA device of this type witha minimum number of parts and with but slight altering of the' position ofthe parts in the'adapting of the spear to the function of a couper. A. fur

, ther object of the invention is the provisionv 25 of a single seto sliding jaws :for accomplishing both of said functions. GA further objectof the invention is the provision of an instrument of this type whichtnia reversed in position in'use to secure t ese two Y so functions. 'A still further objectief the invention is the simplification. oi e doubletunctioning instrumentality in whichv the several parts are employed in securing ,the

double function, thereby avoiding multiplication ci elements.

@ther obects and .advantages oil "i114A vention will hereinafter appear in the'tollowing description and the novel 'features thereof will be particularly pointed out in 40 the appended claims.

Like reference numerals arts throughout the several raminge, in which- Figure i is a' vertical sectional through my eornloinedY spear and coupler showing it inserted in a well casing in position for useas acoupler; v 1

llligure 2 is a similar view taken on a vertical plane at right angles to that of 50. Figure 1;

l'n these two views the parts are shown in their position ot inactivity tor easy insertion in the casing;

Figure 3 is a similar 'view with the spear reversed, inserted in a casing with the parte enligne urs in active position for use as a withdrawing instrumentality Figure l is a transverse section on the line i-t of Figure 1, i Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 60 5-5 of lli re 2, and 'w Figure is a sectional view showing the 4use ot two units for coupling pipe" sections.

l shall now proceed to a detailed description of a comblned spear and coupler, which I however should be considered as indicative onl -of the invention, the real scope of whlehis defined by the appended claims.

Changesin the details of construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made 10 without departing from the spirit ofthe ine movement the plunger 13, but at one end it is enlarged to receive the expansion. spring and associated parts 14. The bodyl of the 35 v spear at its ends isprovided with means :lor

attaching it tothe end ci a ingrod or tube l5. i

Referring particularlytollires 1 and 2,

, whichnre sectional views taken upon planes at rightangles through the spear, it will be seen that'the upper end ot the operating plunger is provided with a screw threaded socket 16 tor the attachment ot the threaded r`end of the operating rod 17', the plunger b e- 95 ing shown at this point as hrolrenl away inlligure 2 for better illustration. Below this connection there is a recess 18, in which a tool ot any torni may be inserted to hold 4the plunger in an elevated position against lo@ the pressure' of the spring while changing i the position ot the parts, as .will hereinafter appear;

ln the spear hody are formed transverse.

slots 19l communicating with the plunger m5 bore 12 in which are mounted sliding bolts 2O having Y pointed ends 20', which are designed to' ta e into a V groove 21 formed in the plunger 13; as shown in Figure 1. The

bolts will engage and hold the plunger in the no of with relation to the bolts. In order to accomplish the proper limiting of the movement of the bolts 2O within the slots 19., the slot -and pin connection 25 between the parts `is provided, as will be readily understood.

It will appear that the body of the spear is cut away orrecessed at opposite sides sufficiently to provide a chamber 26 for the,

reception of the springs 22, which are not intended to project' outwardly beyond the circular contour of the spear body.

On opposite sides of the spear bod there aref provided recesses or chambers 27 aving rear walls inclined from the vertical in order to provide inclined planes for the rear slanting faces of a pair of gripping jaws 29. It will be a preciated that in the position shown in' igure v2, these jaws are within theA circular contour of the spear body, but when raised relatively to the spear body,

they will project beyond said contour and I4engage the encircling wall of the casing within which the spear has been placed.

In order that the jaws may be moved within the chambers 27 provided for them in the spea-r body, there are provided (see Figure 5) transverse slots 30 in the spear body and plunger and communicating slots 31 1n the jaws 29, into which is .placed a key 32, and in order that the jaws may be the more effectively guided they are provided upon their rear faces with vertical ribs 33, which lie and move in vertical grooves'in the spear body.

The key is connected to the plunger and moves therewith,` the particular connection being designed lto hold the key centrally upon theI plunger, and comprises a notch 35 in the lower face of the key, whose length is slightly greater than the diameter of the plunger, so that when it is placed in the slot in the plunger, the key will fall and be retsined under the influence of the leaf spring The outer faces of the jaws 29 are toothed in order 'to secure the maximum Yof gripping effect. Below the key slot 30 in the plunger 13, there is a second key slot 37 into which the key 32, is adapted to be inserted in the second use of the spear, as will hereinafter appear. At the lower end there is a collar 38and the plunger terminates in a link 39. Fitting the link 39 is a Secondlink 40 in a manner best described as a loose chain-link connection. The link 40 is formed integral with a stub plunger 41 screw threaded at its lower end for the reception of a nut 42 and supported above said nut is a loose collar 43. About the loose fitting chain-link connection formed by `the links 39 and 40 there is a coiled spring 47 acting to spread apart the collars 38 and 43. The lower end of the spear body has means for attachment vof the head 44, which comprises a threaded conical mouth 45 in the spear body and av correspondingly shaped threaded projection 46 upon the head 44. In the position of the parts shown in Figures 1 and 2, it will be appreciated that the pressure of the spring 47 tends to raise the plunger 13 within the body of the spear and thereby lift the jaws 29 fluence of the spring 47. The bolts `20 are now inserted in the slots 19 and pinned therein. The plunger is'placed in such posi- -tion within the bore 12 so that the pointed ends of the bolts will take into the groove 21 when the springs 22 are attached to the body `and bear at their upper ends upon the ends Iof the bolts. It will be understood that the pressure of these springs is sufiicient to hold the plunger in'this position, even against the normal pressure ofthe spring 47.

The jaws 29 are now placed in the chambers 27 provided for their reception and the key 32 is inserted through said jaws and through the plunger where it will be securel held by the provision of the notch A35 andy leaf spring 36.' Finally the head 44 is screwed into the spear body which will place the spring 47 under tension but not suflicient tension to overcome the holding effect of the bolts 20, and especially when the instrument isv inserted in a casing and the humps 22 are in close proximity to the casing.

With the 'parts thus assembled, the instrument is ready! to be inserted into a well casing fon the purpose of using it as a coupler, the jaws 29 being held within the contour of the spear body and permitting the easy insertion of the spear within the casing. After it is lowered to the proper depth in the well, the rod 17 is pulled up with sulicient force to release the bolts 20 from the groove 21, when the spring 47 will exert force enough to maintain the plunger lifted so that the jaws 29 will come into gripping relation with the casing wall. It

willbe understood that the leaf springs 22 will hold the bolts 20 in engagement with the groove 21, and particularly when the asomar instrument is in the casing when the humps 22 are in close proximity to the casing wall.-

i inw rod or tube will be communicated to the spar body as a whole and to the casing.

lhe removal of the instrument from the casing is accomplished by the simple lifting of the instrument, as the jaws will yield in the downward direction against the pres- A sure of thespring a7.

afs time, the slots 30 and 31 wil dll- lf it is now desired to `use the instrument as a spear for the withdrawal of a casing section, it is only necessary to reverse the position of the parts, attachin the ishing rod or tube to the head 44, as s ownin Figure 3 and to remove the key 32 from the slot 30', placing the same in the slot 37. lln such position of the parts the spring 47 has expended itself and willexert but small influence upon the jaws, just sufi'cient to insure that the jaws will engage the Wall of the j casing when inserted therein. lt may be found desirable in making this change of position of the key tollift the plunger wit i the bore 12 suiciently to bring the notch or recess 18 above 'the .uppery end of the spear body, when a suitable tool may be inserted j in said notch or recess to temporarily hold the parts in this position, 'against a slight strengtheningV of the 1 sprin 47. At this e in communication andthe key easily` inserted.`

Upon inserting the instrument within a' casing the'jawswill normally slihtly engage t ewa lthereof but not'enoug to prevent its easy descent tosuch point lin the casing as itis desired to establish a rm engagement` for the purpose'of withdrawin the same from the well. An upward pui upon the lishing rod ortube l5 will cause the jaws'to engage the casing rmly as is `usual in this type of casing s ear and the section of the casing will be lited with the spear and removed from the well.

`ln Figure 6 ll have shown the manner of coupling casing sections by the use of two units, one acting as an inactive spear and the other as a coupler, 'coupled together; in this 'use perfect registration of the casing sections is produced. Y, Y

Having escribed my invention, what ll claim as new and desire to secure "by Letters :Patent is: l

l. lin a combined casing spear and coupier, an invertible body provided at both .ends witi, means for attaching supporting members, projectile elements provided with inclined teeth, andl means within the body for projecting said elements beyond the contour thereof comprising a plunger and a key, said key adapted to occupy diiierent positions with respect to the plunger to vary the force exerted upcn said projectile,

elements.

2. ln a combined spear and coupler, a body having -a chamber therein, a gripping element in said chamber adapted to project beyond the contour of the body to engage a casing wall, a spring for urging the gripping-element against the casing wall, and means for varying the tension of said spring upon said gripping element, whereby the gripping element may be used as a partof a lifting spear or a coupler upon reversal ol the position of the body within the casnig.

3. ln a combined spear and coupler for well casings, ,the combination with a spear body, of gripping elements within said body adapted to project beyond the contour thereof for engagement with the casing wall,

means for maintaining said gripping elements within the contour. of-the casing, means for releasing said 'retaining means to place the gripping elements under` spring pressure, and means for relieving the tension of the urging spring, whereby the device may be adapted for use as a lifting spear as well as a coupler. i

y4. ln a combined spear and coupler fpr well casings, a body having a contour corresponding to that of a well casing, a plurality of gripping elements Within the body adapted to project beyond the same for en. gagmg the casing wall, means for urging said gripping elements into contact with the casing Wall 'including a spring, means for locking said spring compressedwhereby the gripping elements will be held within the contour of said body, means for releasing the lock from said spring, and means for re-A leasing the tension of the spring upon said gripping elements.,

5. lnl a combined spear and coupler tor well casings, the combination of a body having a longitudinal bore therein, a plunger movable in said bore and spring pressed in one direction, a plurality ot jaws mounted in v upon said plunger for releasing said locking device.

t. lin a combined spear .and coupler for well casings, the combination with a body having a longitudinal bore therein, ot a plunger in a said bore ,'rovided with a l!- shaped groove, a pair ot key-receiving slots and at its lower end with a spring pressed collar, spring pressed locking bolts cooper- 'atmg w1th sald groove, sliding gripping jaws adaptedy to be keyed to said plunger in either of two positions, means at both ends of said body for attachment of a fishing rod or tube, and means connected to said plunger for removing the lock therefrom.

7. In a casing spear, a body having a longitudinal bore, one end of which is enlarged, a Aspring pressure device in said enlarged end acting upon said plunger, a pair of jaws keyed to said plunger and adaptedv to be forced outwardly beyond the face of the spear in the movement of the plunger, a lock for maintaining said plunger against the tension of said spring device, and a-rod con-' l i nected to said plunger for releasing the lock.

8. In a casing spear and coupler, the combination with a body having a longitudinal bore, of a plunger movable in said bore, a spring for urging said plunger in one direction, and a plurality of jaws adapted to be -keyed to said plunger in a plurality of positions, in one of which the full tension of the spring is exerted upon said jaws and in the sliding jaws controlled by the movement of said plunger, a spring acting upon said plunger, a locking means for said plunger comprising a bolt engaging the plunger, and a leaf spring secured in ar vertical groove in the body bearing at one end upon said bolt and with its hump closely abutting the casing wall.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature.

JESSIE E. JONES. Y 

